Dive into cutting-edge techniques for optimizing your new grant process in this informative session. The expert panel will guide you through best practices and help you navigate potential pitfalls, covering both upstream and downstream issues.

Discover valuable tips and tricks for constructing a robust grant reconciliation process, regardless of the systems you use to manage your new grants. Furthermore, we will share our insights on how recent industry trends are reshaping traditional approaches to stock allocation.

Attendees will learn:

• How to streamline the new grant process through automation techniques for efficiency and accuracy.
• The importance of addressing cross-border considerations and compliance when managing global grant challenges.
• The secrets of effective project management that ensures the smooth execution of global grants.

Share plans are vital in corporate takeovers, impacting employees—the most valuable asset of companies. Buyers and sellers strive to achieve the best outcome, recognizing employees' contributions and maintaining motivation. Factors to consider include external regulations for employee communication and commercial pressures for timely deal completion.

In this session, the expert panel explore key themes: communication strategies, technology use, and global legal and tax implications in takeovers. Drawing from real-life experiences, they will share ten top tips for effective planning and execution, ensuring employee engagement and seamless collaboration among stakeholders.

Attendees will learn:

• The legal and tax implications of a takeover on share plans, including accelerated non-vested awards.
• The importance of effective employee communication and explore the use of technology for information dissemination and tracking elections and acceptances.
• The global impact of a transaction on share plans, including non-home jurisdictions and unique considerations for tax-advantaged plans.

While rising stock values are generally seen as positive, companies that have high stock prices and offer broad equity to their employees may face certain challenges. One such challenge arises during sell-to-cover tax withholding at vesting events, where participants are typically required to sell a whole share on the market to generate cash for tax payment, with the remaining amount being paid to the employee. However, many employees would prefer to keep the remaining value in company shares instead of receiving cash for the difference.

Hear experts from Amazon, Microsoft, and Moss Adams share their insights and describe the journey towards implementing a fractional share at vest offering. Their innovative approaches allow participants to sell only a portion of a share to cover their tax obligations at vesting, enabling employees to retain a higher ownership stake in the company. This strategic shift offers numerous advantages to employees, empowering them to benefit from increased company ownership while effectively managing their tax liabilities.

Attendees will learn:

• The rationale for allowing Fractional Shares at vesting
• The journey to implementing Fractional Shares at vesting
• Lessons learned and initial perspectives on the implementation process

With global employee populations on the rise, so is the demand for globally compatible compensation plans. As issuing various forms of equity compensation from foreign plans to employees becomes more common, it is important to carefully review the plans prior to issuance.

When expanding a share scheme into new territories, an appendix will usually suffice to ensure the plan meets the respective domestic country's tax efficient rules, but our panel has encountered some common issues affecting employees in Canada, the UK and the US.

Attendees will learn:

• The current taxation rules and issues which require close attention when reviewing foreign plans
• Simple fixes and discuss the issues that may not be possible to fix in each country
• How to navigate new UK legislation to ensure the foreign plan is compliant

In the face of ongoing stock market uncertainty and persistent high inflation, the perceived value of equity awards for equity plan participants has taken a hit, marking a significant departure from the long-standing upward trend.

This expert panel highlights how employers can play a crucial role in helping plan participants fully comprehend and appreciate the value of their equity compensation and unlock the potential of their equity awards.

Don't miss this enlightening session, where we provide actionable insights that will not only position employers as leaders during these uncertain times but also enable them to attract and retain top-tier talent.

Attendees will learn:

• The importance of employee education in understanding equity compensation.
• Effective communication strategies to convey the value of equity awards.
• How providing access to personalized financial advice is crucial for optimizing equity compensation.

Public event readiness focuses on the actions leading up to the ‘Big Day’. But what happens after that day comes and goes?

This session provides advice on how to avoid an IPO hangover. The panel of experts will cover the items that tend to get lost in the shuffle or deferred in the frantic run up to the public event.

Attendees will learn:

• The key milestones and steps you can take now to guarantee a pain free transaction
• Which administrative tasks, controls and communications are essential to succeed
• How to identify the key stakeholders and how best to communicate with them

Equity is a critical component of the employee journey and experience. However, ensuring its relevance with your workforce and driving desired outcomes requires a thoughtful approach. The expert panel will delve into the evolving expectations of employees, understanding how equity fits seamlessly within the broader reward and compensation package. Explore the goals and impacts of various equity programs and gain insights into the crucial role of communication, engagement, and education throughout the employee journey. Join the session to uncover strategies that align equity practices effectively and optimize their impact on employee satisfaction and organizational success.

Attendees will learn:

• How to integrate equity holistically within the overall reward and compensation package and in line with employee expectations in relation to equity
• The Goals, impacts, and considerations for different types of equity programs
• The importance of communication, engagement, and education in the employee journey.

This illuminating session will shine a spotlight and explore the role of equity in the GEIS 2023 survey’s key emerging topics: Equity in Talent, Investor Relations, and Global Mobility.

The expert panel will dive deep into these special focus areas, gaining valuable insights and practical strategies to explore how equity can be a powerful tool in shaping successful organizations in an increasingly competitive and globalized world.

Attendees will learn:

• Talent and Markets: Explore talent war and market volatility's impact on equity compensation for attracting and retaining top talent
• Investor Relations: Discover the role of equity compensation in transparent communication and enhancing company performance
• Equity and Global Mobility: Navigate complexities in cross-border talent attraction through equity compensation

Learn from the IPO experiences of three issuers in this insightful panel discussion who each consider what they would do differently if they had their time again.

Join them as they delve into their valuable insights, tips, and the challenges they encountered throughout their IPO journeys. Through real-life examples, they will explore the lessons learned and mistakes made, providing valuable knowledge to enhance the smooth execution of future IPOs.

Attendees will learn:

• Real-Life IPO Insights: Gain valuable perspectives from prominent business leaders who have undergone the IPO process, sharing their experiences, challenges, and key takeaways.
• Getting Stock Plans IPO-Ready: Discover best practices and strategies for preparing your stock plans for an IPO, ensuring compliance, transparency, and effectiveness during the transition.
• Employee Communication Tips: Learn effective communication strategies to engage and inform employees during the IPO journey, fostering a sense of ownership and understanding.